TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/ Florida Capital Bureau) – Penguins waddled into the Florida Capitol on Wednesday as they face extinction.
The African penguin is an endangered species, and the Florida Aquarium is raising money for a new outdoor exhibit to fit their needs.
The penguins, commonly found in southern African countries such as South Africa and Namibia, are considered severely endangered.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the species are on the verge of extinction, having lost 97% of their populations.
The Florida Aquarium also brought them to advocate for funding towards storm and flood protection at their downtown campus.
This is a part of the Florida Aquarium Storm and Flood Protection project that is also supposed to safeguard animal habitats and support their systems.
Last year, the governor signed into law funding for this system following Hurricanes Helen and Milton. These storms caused mass damage to the aquarium, resulting in animal relocation.
More Florida politics:
The Florida legislature has requested $1 million for a renewal of this fund as a 2026 – 2027 Local Funding Initiative Request.
Katrina Cox, the Senior Director of Grants and Government Affairs at the Florida Aquarium, spoke about the importance of fortifying their habitats.
“As we are going to break ground to build this new habitat outside, we want to make sure we have enough storm barriers and protections to protect the animals and properties should there unfortunately be another storm,” she said.
Additionally, the aquarium is making an effort to continue funding for coral reef restoration and recovery.
Florida’s coral reefs have been rapidly eroding. According to a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 70% of reef habitats have eroded.
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